Mayor offers congrats to Arthur G. Russell for acquisition

August 21, 2014

Mayor Ken Cockayne visited with The Arthur G. Russell Company officials Wednesday to congratulate the 69-year-old manufacturing firm on its recent acquisition of Bodine Automation Technology, a move that will grow AGR’s workforce and could lead to expansion at its headquarters on Clark Avenue, said a press release from the mayor’s office.

Bodine Automation Technology is a division of Missouri-based DTE (Detroit Tool and Engineering), but it has its origins in Connecticut, established in 1932 as the Bodine Corporation in Bridgeport, said the news release. Bodine designs and builds automated assembly solutions ranging from stand-alone machines to fully integrated production systems for the medical device, consumer, food, and electronics industries.

Both AGR and Bodine are pioneers in the fields of automation, explained the mayor’s release. For many years, the release said, Bodine utilized technologies originally developed by AGR.

“The Arthur G. Russell Company has been an outstanding corporate citizen, and we applaud their efforts to expand and bring more high-tech manufacturing jobs to Bristol,” Cockayne said, according to the press release. “The leadership and hard work of companies such as AGR are turning the economy around. I am excited to continue to help this company grow in Bristol.”

The release said AGR officials explained AGR and Bodine will retain their distinctive brands to preserve their rich histories and strengths in the marketplace. “AGR will continue to support and service Bodine systems worldwide,” said Bill Mis, vice president of sales said in the mayor’s press release. “We welcome Bodine to our team and look forward to providing innovative solutions incorporating Bodine equipment and expertise.”

“This is a great story for AGR and a great story for Bristol,” said AGR President Mark Burzynski in the press release. He added that the company is planning the construction of a “clean” product development area and new training room with the possibility of a sizeable building expansion on Clark Avenue in the future, said the mayor’s news release.